| answer text |
<p>The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) collects and publishes information
from all police forces in England and Wales about the type of complaints they are
receiving and how long they take to deal with them. The most recent police complaints
statistics report can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/our-work/research-and-statistics/police-complaints-statistics"
target="_blank">https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/our-work/research-and-statistics/police-complaints-statistics</a></p><p>The
first stage of complaint handling is for the relevant police force or appropriate
body, such as a Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office, to consider how best to handle
the complaint. Certain types of complaints can be resolved informally where it is
appropriate to do so and the issue can be resolved quickly to the complainant’s satisfaction.</p><p>The
IOPC data shows, in 2022/23 police forces finalised 55,524 allegations in complaint
cases that were handled informally. On average, these allegations took 16 working
days to finalise.</p><p>All complaints should be handled in a reasonable and proportionate
manner by police forces. For formal complaints, this may mean responding to concerns
raised and seeking to resolve them (in some cases via an investigation) and keeping
the complainant properly informed throughout the process, and explaining the outcome,
including closing the complaint.</p><p>The IOPC data shows, in 2022/23 police forces
finalised a total of 71,805 allegations in complaint cases handled formally of which
17,098 were investigated accounting for 24%. Of those allegations finalised by local
investigation, it took an average of 159 working days.</p>
|
|
